Have you ever been asked to describe someone or something in one word? Maybe as an icebreaker or during a job interview? “Describe yourself in one word.” I’m told I overthink things, but to me that task just seems impossible. We are not just one word people. We are complex, made of many tangled and tricky parts, physically, spiritually, emotionally. Maybe we could come up with a one-word descriptor, but it most likely would apply only in a few contexts, not to our whole person. You might be assertive at times, but not at others; disciplined in some areas, but not all.

Now what if someone asked you to do the same thing, only with the word “Mom?” I think that might be even harder than describing yourself. Our relationship with our mothers changes many times over the course of our lives. She is what we need her to be at various stages of our development. When we are young, she keeps us alive, and until we are old enough to care for ourselves, she is our first teacher, our caregiver, our provider, our protector. She’s a playmate, a referee, a comforter, a chauffeur.

Mother’s Day is this week, and according to the internet, 86% of Americans celebrate Mother’s Day and almost all 86% of those send a card. So, standing in the greeting card aisle, most of us are going to pick up card after card, looking for the one that fits our own particular relationship with our mothers the best (okay, maybe I am just speaking to women here. . .  ). What characteristics of your mom mean the most to you? Could you pick just one?

I doubt it. For example, I think of my mom as fun. She was always ready to play rummy or Sorry when we got home from school. We played crazy games with balloons and bouncy balls in the house. One time, she crocheted slippers for me and my friends just so we could slide across the wood floor. She is creative and spontaneous and impulsive – all things I’m not – but her craziness and confidence not only put a little more fun and spontaneity into my life but also inspired me when I was raising my own kids.

And that is only a tiny aspect of my mom. We haven’t even considered big things like love or compassion or care. Moms are so many things. No, they aren’t perfect and sometimes things are complicated, but no matter what, they had a big influence on the kind of people we are today, and they played a big part in you becoming whatever that one word is you would use to describe yourself. So whether you will see and talk to her this week or just hold her in your mind, thank God for the mom He gave you. Happy Mother’s Day!

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God bless you. Stay hopeful! ❤️

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